For most of Stolen, Gemma is a prisoner. After Ty abducts her, she finds herself alone with him in the desert, with no way to escape except through him. As a result, a huge part of the book is about examining what it means to be in captivity, as well as what it means to be free. While she originally feels confined and isolated in Ty's homestead in the wilderness, her experiences with him distort the meaning of these words. Is the desert really a prison? Has Gemma been in captivity her whole life without even knowing it? It's one of the paradoxes at the core of Stolen—Ty may hold Gemma captive, but he might also be the person who sets her free. Whoa.
Questions About Freedom and Confinement
- Ty makes it pretty clear that they're in the middle of nowhere and there's no way out of this except through him. Why does Gemma keep plotting ways to run away?
- Does Gemma really have Stockholm syndrome, or does her attitude toward Ty genuinely change as a result of her experiences? Turn to the text to support your argument.
- Gemma describes her return to civilization as like being in prison. Has she really learned the lesson Ty has been trying to teach her, or is she experiencing shock from having been in the desert so long?
- How do you think Ty will respond to being in prison? Do you think Gemma's letter will have any effect on the experience?
Chew on This
Stolen broadens the definition of captivity to include the situations and places we don't know are holding us back.
Ty is using Gemma's captivity to make right what was done to him as a child.